Deepening Shadows
by XxDakuenjeru-No-NegaixX
Summary: He was a shadow. That was all he was, nothing more, and nothing less. He wanted to be normal, but he couldn't. There was no light to be found, and there was nobody to hear his desperate plea. There was no hand for him to tightly grasp onto, hoping for a better future. Even though there was one person by his side...could they really understand? -Rating may change-
1. Prologue

**_Kageito's POV_**

He was a shadow; that was all he was. No more, and no less. He could not possibly be anymore than that, and he could not possibly be any less. At least, that's what he had always been told. Ever since he could remember, that was all he had been referred to as; a shadow. But...he was like them, wasn't he? He sang like them- or, at least, he _tried _to. Didn't that count as something? And he looked like them, didn't he?

Apparently though, that wasn't enough. There was something more to him that separated him from them. A certain darkness about him that he couldn't escape. It wasn't a scary sort of darkness, not really anyway. It was the sort of darkness that lingers about, not a threat, but not comforting either. At first, he hadn't noticed it, yet as time passed and he slowly realized he was more different than he assumed he was, that lingering darkness became more and more noticeable. Now, it was like a companion to him, one that whether it was wanted or not would stay for as long as he still functioned properly.

That wasn't the only difference though; it couldn't be. Perhaps it had to do with his voice. When he was singing, it had this certain deformity to it that made him sound almost broken, like he was trying to communicate from a different dimension. While many of the others assured him that it wasn't such a big deal, he could clearly see that it was. It wasn't _normal _to have a voice like that, and it frightened some of them. It made them think that he was a darker person than he really was. Maybe it had to do with his mask, or the fact that his scarf had hands, or maybe it was because he was mainly active during the night. It could be any of those reasons, really, but he wasn't sure any of those were the reason why he wasn't normal; even if they were all added together, it still wouldn't allow him to know. He had spent countless nights just staring at the ceiling with his glowing ruby eyes, wondering why he was not accepted, and what about him was so off.

He wasn't evil; anything but. Even so, it seemed that many of the others would like to believe differently. In their eyes, he was something out of a horror movie, or the monster that was always hiding away in your closet, waiting for the lights to go out before appearing. He wasn't though; why couldn't they understand that. He had feelings, and he could hear what they said about them. How they thought he was too dark and creepy for his own good. How his voice was frightening to listen to. How he looked rather like a ghost or a demon, not a Vocaloid like the rest of them. How he was just so different. Somehow, he had trained his emotions to become numb to those sayings, and just smile about it, laughing like it was a joke and he was the punch line. True, it still hurt to hear those words said about him, but he had learned to break apart those inner wounds before they festered and sent him reeling. Those words that were said about him still had the ability to cut through like knives, no matter how prepared to hear them he thought he was. And whenever they found out he had heard, they would apologize as usual, and he would always lie and say he was alright, that it didn't matter. But it did matter; it made him wonder even more, and it did hurt. Everything he said to them now, everything he did around them, was turning into a giant, leering lie that was impossible to shed light on. Sometimes he felt as though even his own smile was a lie. They really had no idea how hard he tried to be like them...and how deeply it cut each time he was rejected again and again and again.

If he tried to voice these thoughts, would they even hear him? He felt as though he could just disappear, and everyone would be okay with that, even he would. But in the end, that was just a lie as well, wasn't it? If he disappeared, then nobody would know about his inner turmoil, and nobody would know how to fix him.

There was one person though...one person who would listen to him, and who actually wasn't frightened by him in the least bit. If he told him about his troubles...would that person care? And...would that person hear him out, if he told that person all about how he felt? Of course not; his feelings would just be brushed off as not knowing enough people to sort his emotions out. Just like usual. Brushing him off was easy for others to do, since he always lied about how it affected him. Though he was sure that even if he didn't lie, he would still be brushed off anyway. That was just how it worked with him.

He stared down at his own pale hands, his midnight black hair falling into his face and hiding his expression. He really did look like a ghost, didn't he? A low chuckle escaped his lips, a sound that filled the entire pitch dark room, a sound that nobody else was there to hear but him. A terrifying blankness was filling him as he just sat there by himself, letting the darkness pull him in and wrap its cold arms around his pale body. The only light there was to be seen was emitted from his blood red eyes as he stared down upon his hands, wondering if he could somehow wrap them about his own slender neck and keep pressing down until there was nothing left to feel. Normally, these thoughts wouldn't be filling his head. Normally, he would be out and about, savoring the time he had to himself where he was able to move about freely unlike the inky attachment he was.

If he could just cinch those hands of his around his neck, right where his windpipe was...how quickly would he go? Not a single person would be there to stop him, not even his own brothers. Not even...that one person. He had a feeling though, that that one person would somehow know what was happening if he really were to end it all. Thinking about listening to his own life-giving breaths turn short, shallow, and labored all because of his own hands choking himself to death sent shivers down his body. Whether or not they were horrified shivers or apprehensive shivers, he did not know. As if in a daze, he brought both hands up to his neck, closing his eyes slowly as he flinched at his own cold touch. Ever so hesitantly, he wrapped his fingers delicately about his neck. It was a perfect fit; all that was left was to push down. Letting out a sigh, he dropped his hands back down to hang limply by his sides. This wasn't okay for him to be doing; he wasn't supposed to be suicidal. He was meant to be a shadow, one that was slowly losing its light.

Now that he thought about it, did he even have a light to grasp onto?

_'No...it was never there to begin with, and most likely will never be there,' _a voice inside his head taunted with him. The room seemed to buzz with an eerie life at the moment, the darkness laughing at how pathetic he was.

"Help...somebody...please, help," he choked out, even though he knew all too well that there would be nobody there to hear his desperate plea. He was already dead on the inside, with nothing that could hope to break through the walls set up about him.

He gritted his teeth together, drawing his pants-clad knees up to his chest, then burying his head within the small space left between his legs and the area where his heart beat, a painful reminder of how he was still very alive and still the same dark being he had always been thought to be..and truthfully was. Subconsciously, he reached one hand out to grasp onto somebody, anybody.

There was nobody, nothing but his own drawn out breaths and the darkness about him. He weakly gripped the sheets of the bed he was sitting on, a single tear slipping from his tightly shut eyes and trickling down his ghostly white cheek, dropping off his chin and leaving a dark stain on the white sheets.

All he was was a shadow. A shadow without any light, a shadow that would stay in the dark because that was all it was.

_Dark._

* * *

_**A/N:** _So..this is my first shot at a fanfic written here. Please tell me what you think so far; and, I'm warning you now, my updates may be a little slow -_- But, don't let that stop you from reading! Think of Kageito. OvO


	2. Empty Smile

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Vocaloid, obviously. I'm pretty sure a lot of strange things would've happened by now if I did, and there would be a lot less leeks in the world...anyway! I don't claim to own any of these characters. Now please read, and enjoy...if you don't enjoy it...then I guess don't come back. ._.

...this might be OOC. Forgive me please, it's my first time writing for these two/writing anything on here at all. And if you don't forgive me then I guess just bear a grudge against me and cringe at the the awfully out of whack personalities.

Thoughts/Lyrics= _italicized_

* * *

_**Kageito's POV**_

_"What are you doing in a place like this?_

_Do you cry being hidden in shadows by yourself?_

_Shadows aren't particularly cold, but_

_Aren't you lonely being all alone like this-"_

"Hold on, stop right there!" a voice suddenly cut through the sounds of the black-haired Vocaloid's recording, causing him to immediately fall silent as the music continued on without his vocals added. He paused mid-note, letting his unearthly sounding voice die away for the eighth time that night. _'I wonder...what's wrong this time?' _Kageito thought, turning his attention towards his Master, who was standing across from him, separated from the Shion brother by only a thin sheet of glass and carpet-covered wall. He watched silently as she removed her headphones and blinked her eyes a few times rather sleepily, before folding her arms across her chest and meeting his gaze with her own. She smiled at him tiredly, though he could easily see the displeasure hidden behind it.

"Sorry...did I mess up on that one note again?" the ruby-eyed Vocaloid asked, putting on his best apologetic smile in return to his Master's own smile.

"Actually, it wasn't the same one as the last two times; this time, it was a different note. Kageito, you need to make your voice sound a little clearer. Can you please try, from the beginning, again?" she asked, her voice calm and sweet, though her exhaustion with this recording was clearly heard through those tones.

He nodded, replying cheerfully, "Of course! It shouldn't be too hard for me to fix."

Of course, that was a lie; his voice was naturally like that, and there was nothing he could _fix _about it. His voice, unlike all of his other brothers, had an unnatural almost static sound to it, causing his singing to be hard to hear and understand at times. He wasn't really sure why his voice was like that, though he had a fairly good idea. Kageito wasn't a normal Vocaloid; rather, he was the "shadow" of his older brother, Kaito Shion, and that meant he didn't have a true voice of his own to sing with. And since he was a shadow, he was mainly active during the night, due to being intolerable to the sun, and since nighttime was the only real time he had to himself without being stuck as an attachment to somebody else. So naturally, there was an air of darkness surrounding him, and that meant he could only do the things the others did, such as recording, during such late hours, and he was rarely seen stepping out of the shadows into any sort of light. Because of this, he was mainly seen as a lonely figure trying to snatch away the brightness and as somebody who hated those around him. _  
_

But, he really wasn't like that. He loved all of his brothers as a brother should, and felt certain amounts of fondness towards all the other Vocaloids; though, there were a few he'd be just fine without. Even so, there was still that image portraying him as a dark fiend that covered up who he really was.

_'I'm not going to let me get that down though! If I try hard enough, then perhaps they'll see I'm more like them than they think I am. I just need to make it through these times, and learn to numb myself to the harshness that comes my way,' _Kageito thought determinedly, taking in a steadying breath of air, preparing himself to sing the song again, and hopefully get it right this time.

"You ready?" His Master's voice floated to his ears, and he nodded, clearing his mind of everything but the music as it was restarted and the countdown for him to start singing began winding down once again.

_"What are you doing in a place like this?__  
_

_Do you cry being hidden in shadows by yourself-"_

"No, no, you did it again, Kageito," frustration was heard clearly in his Master's voice this time, and she had her hands on her hips with a displeased look on her fair-skinned face.

"My apologies, Master. I'll get it right next time," he promised, hoping that he would. Kageito could see the obvious exhaustion in her facial expression, and in the way she was acting. She usually wasn't this pushy about getting a song right, or at least, not with his other brothers.

"No, not tonight. Listen, we'll meet up back here tomorrow, but a bit earlier, okay? I've got to get more sleep than I have been getting, since I'm in charge of more than just you. It's not easy having to stay up late because you don't exactly like the sun," Master sighed, creasing her eyebrows and rubbing her temples.

Kageito bit his lip and looked down. He knew she was a busy person...but did she really have to make it sound like he was such an extra burden? She knew about his sunlight intolerance and how it affected him, yet she chose to word it like that. Still...she was a very busy person, seeing as she was also his brothers' Master and therefore had to record and help train all of the other Shions. Besides, he wouldn't let it get to him, no matter how deep certain words cut into him.

"Well then, I promise I'll be practicing until then. And I really do mean it when I say I'll get it right next time," the dark-haired boy said again, stepping away from the mic and removing his own headphones as she exited the room she had been listening in. Everything about her looked tired; even her long, wavy, blonde hair looked frizzier than usual.

As she passed by him, she sighed loudly, placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, and answered, "I know you will. I don't doubt you, despite what you may think at times."

He only nodded slowly in response, choosing not to answer verbally, knowing he wouldn't be able to sound as upbeat as he usually managed to. This was the third night in a row that he hadn't managed to record the number of songs he was expected to have released by the end of the month. Sometimes he wondered how his Master dealt with it; surely it was stressful having to deal with his catastrophe of a music "career", and manage his other brothers' as well. He waited silently as she exited first, jumping a little when the phone she always kept in her pocket began to loudly play some annoyingly elevator-song-sounding ringtone. Choosing to walk down to the opposite exit at the end of the hall to give his Master some space for whoever she was talking to, Kageito patiently lingered in the doorway as she pulled the pink cellular device from her pocket, struggling a little as the corner got caught in her jeans fabric. As she walked down the hallway quickly, it became apparent she was chatting with her boyfriend, and Kageito couldn't help but pick up little snippets of her conversation.

"Hey honey. Yeah, yeah, I'm fine, just a little tired. Ugh, no, I wasn't able to get him to record a single song today, can you believe it? Yeah, again! I swear, I don't see why he keeps trying, but hey, I'll try to support him, though it is a burden. Uh-huh. No, I swear, I'll probably scream if another crappy session like tonight happens again tomorrow..." he heard Master babble as she briskly made her way down to the other exit door, twirling a strand of her blonde hair around a painted fingernail that matched the pink shade of her phone.

Kageito gritted his teeth and clenched his fist, refusing to let it get to him too easily. His Master was just tired and a little bent out of shape; that was all. Anybody would talk like that if they had to deal with this tiring situation. He quietly flicked the lights off in the recording studio, relaxing once the hallway was completely plunged into darkness. It was easier for him to move around then; the darkness to him was like the light of day to the other Vocaloids, and it was much easier for him to maneuver around in. The darkness was his domain, the night his only free time to do as he pleased. Choosing to forget the unpleasantness he had felt just a few moments ago and bury it away for now, he hummed the tune of the song he had just been practicing as walked silently down the hallway, careful not to make any sound other than his softly falling footsteps. Even though he was managing to fake cheerfulness, he didn't feel like running into anybody at the moment. The last time he had happened upon somebody this late at night, it had startled that person so badly it earned him a foot to the face. Ever since then, he had been more careful with his coming and going during the blackened hours.

The dark haired shadow's glowing red eyes left a faintly illuminated trail in the air behind him for seconds at a time before the space left behind by him turned dark once more. He passed by his bedroom door and paused. A slight scowl tugged at his lips at the thought of locking himself in there for another night in the countless others he had done so, mainly because he knew no better solution than shutting himself away to make sure the distance between him and the others who feared him was kept. Isolation was what he usually stuck to, since it was the easiest way out...but tonight, he felt like spending the time he had left to roam about freely as he wished. And right now, he just wanted to think a few things over, and enjoy the solitude he got to himself before daybreak. He knew just the place for that.

*~0~0~*

A few minutes later, the shadow was outside in the crisp, cool autumn night air. He took a deep breath in, exhaling loudly and smiling to himself. There was nobody out here to run into him and freak out, and out here, he wouldn't feel as lonely with the stars overhead as company, and the nighttime animals that rustled about. Still...he knew nature wasn't the best substitute for not having somebody to offer him company, but it was really all he had. Most of the time, if he ever felt like it, he would go find Zeito, or even Taito sometimes, to hang around with, since they were mainly the only ones up at this time who didn't fear him at all. It was true that there were a few others who weren't as wary of him as most, but he didn't want to disturb their sleep.

Shivering a little as a cool breeze ruffled through his hair and hugged itself around his white-and-black clad body, the young Vocaloid began his walk down a narrow path behind the Vocaloid household. He wasn't sure how many of the others knew about it, but it led to some of the most beautiful scenery he had ever laid eyes on before. Which, said to say, he hadn't laid his eyes on much outdoors scenery other than what he saw out the windows of the extremely large house. Following the narrow dirt pathway across a level field of grass, he soon came across a rather large forest that obstructed his view from the large, midnight blue sky over head and only tiny glimmers of the stars could be seen. Normally, he would feel the slightest bit of his nerves acting up staring into such a large, vast darkness without the ability to turn around and see his way back, but he was too focused on getting to his destination to give it a second thought as he kept going. After walking for a while, keeping careful to not trip as the path made sudden turns and took dips downwards. Soon, he could see gaps and spaces in the thick foliage and trees surrounding him, and within a few more carefully placed steps he broke out of the forest, smiling up at the sky above him before returning his attention to what was spread out before him.

Kageito's eyes widened a bit as he took in the scenery before him. A small grass field that looked much like the one he had started in was dotted with different wildflowers, and further away there was a smaller part of the forest that reached out towards a lake and a creek off to the side, with trees whose branches hung low and skimmed the calm waters. It looked as though there were a tiny canyon on the other bank of the lake, where a small trickle of water tumbled down the weathered rocks and babbled into the still water of the lake, causing only the tiniest of ripples. The field dipped down towards the small body of water in bowl formation, making it hard to see over the edge. Overhead, the stars shone and winked brightly, not hidden by any sort of artificial light, and the moon smiled down at him in a Cheshire grin.

Taking in another deep breath, the dark-haired Shion trotted down towards the banks of the lake, closing his eyes momentarily and enjoying the feeling of being alone with his thoughts. He was so absorbed in his already forming thoughts that he didn't notice the dark figure sitting at the edge of the lake until he stood within a few feet of it. Stopping abruptly, he wondered, _'I wonder...who __would be here this late...?' _The number of others the figure could be was quickly narrowed down, considering the time of night and the ones who were usually awake at this hour along with him. Taking a few tentative steps forward, the young Shadowloid craned his neck to get a better look, and a small grin broke out on his pale face when he saw the figure flicking its wrist every few moments, and saw the familiar outline of a yo-yo slowly bobbing up and down. Feeling his spirits lift, Kageito trotted down towards the grassy bank and wordlessly plopped down beside his older brother. Words didn't need to be exchanged; he already knew he was welcomed by the other.

The other turned his head and Kageito met the other's red eyes with his own glowing eyes, and the two greeted each other through a soundless language they had created over the years without realizing it. A feeling of contentment and happiness bubbled up inside of Kageito, and a sigh escaped his lips.

"Good evening, Zeito."

*~0~0~*

_**Zeito's POV**_

Sometimes, Zeito worried about his younger Shadowloid brother, just like he was now. He had always been able to tell when something was off with Kageito after all the countless nights they had shared together. True, his younger brother was becoming an expert of deceit, always making it look like everything was alright and he was just his usual curious self, and a few times before, that cover had fooled even Zeito. That was in the past, though, and there was something definitely wrong, something he knew he needed to worry about. He just needed to figure out what it was...and that wound up being difficult to figure out.

Zeito answered the other's greeting with a nod, a whisper of a smile playing on his lips at the other's vampiric reference. He knew very well how many good-natured jokes were made about the two of them being vampires, and ever since last Halloween when some way or the other he had found himself walking around with fake plastic fangs molded over his regular teeth, Kageito had never failed to say 'hello' in some form of a vampire reference. It was a regular quirk with the younger boy. For a while, the two brothers merely lounged in the softness of the grass serving as a carpet beneath them, feeling completely at ease in each other's presence. Out in the open air of night, with only each other around, there was no need for either to leave their guards up. A welcoming silence filled the atmosphere between the two of them as Zeito continued flicking his yo-yo up and down. It was a regular activity for him, one that he had at first been teased about, but had become a habit for him anyway. There was a rustling sound from beside him that interrupted the silence, and Zeito glanced over to see Kageito laying down on his back.

He watched as the younger male shifted around until he was comfortable, leaning his head against one arm while resting his other arm across his rising and falling chest. The Shadowloid's black hair was in disarray from the breeze running through it, and it fanned across his face and barely touched the ground beneath him. His shining red eyes stared up intently at the stars dotting the sky above them, like he was searching for something up in the endless black veil of night. His breathing was steady and even, like that of a sleeping person's even though he was very much wide awake. The other's demeanor seemed calm, like he was taking in everything at his own pace. But Zeito could tell there was something else there, something buried beneath Kageito's outward appearance that he maintained so well to keep everything out. It was there, steadily growing but being held down by the other's will power. It concerned Zeito that the boy, who was alone for most of the time with hardly anybody to confide in, was carrying such heavy and unspoken burdens without letting anybody else know about them or help. He knew Kageito was strong, and that he might just be over thinking, but he could just feel it there.

"I think there's a reason for the stars to shine only at night, other than the scientific reason," Kageito's soft voice interrupted the raven-haired Vocaloid's current thoughts. Focusing his eyes on the Shadowloid's face, the older male said nothing in answer, knowing the other would continue whether he showed any signs of response or not. He always listened to Kageito, and the younger one was aware of that as well.

"I think...that stars shine at night so the people who think they're lost in the darkness have a reminder that no matter how far down a void they've fallen, there always will be a light there for them. The stars are so far away, so unreachable, and we only see tiny twinkling specks dotted up in the sky. They seem so insignificant and are hardly given a second thought, and mostly only dreamers dare to place their wishes on them...yet they still shine for us," Zeito listened intently to Kageito's words, trying to read into them. The other often talked in circles, in a manner that was hard to understand, or in crypts and hidden messages that took long periods of time to decipher the meaning of. It wasn't his fault; it was simply his way of talking. And it didn't help that he had nearly zero experience with socializing and speaking what was on his mind clearly.

Kageito shifted beside of him again, then suddenly stretched the arm that had been laying across his chest upwards towards the inky sky. The Shadowloid's smaller hand opened up as though he were desperately reaching out for something just out of reach. His glowing eyes had a far away, cloudy look in them, and it was almost as though Zeito were staring into the depths of Kageito's deepest, darkest, and most maddening shadows.

A breathy sigh escaped his brother's pale lips, and his eyelids drooped a little. A barely heard chuckle followed the sigh as Kageito continued, "You know, when I was younger, I used to think that if I gave it everything I had and didn't give up on it, I would be able to pull a star down from the sky and hold it within my hands, letting it seep into my skin as it shared its light with me. I used to wonder if it would bring a warm, peaceful feeling all the way down to my core, or if it would leave me feeling cold and isolated."

Pausing, the Shadowloid closed his hand into a fist. Zeito's eyebrows furrowed a little; there was something distant in his brother's voice, something that was off-set to what he was saying.

"But...now I know that if I ever were able to do that, I would end up letting it go back to where it belongs. It's light is too great for a dark being like me; I would burn up and be forgotten. Besides, if I were to take it away from where it belongs, then it wouldn't be there for somebody who needs it more than I do. At least I know the stars will always be there, even when I can't see them...even though I don't have a light of my own..." the other's voice dwindled down to a soft whisper as he let his arm fall back down to his chest.

Zeito gave careful analysis to what Kageito had just said. There was an obvious meaning easily made out from the beginning, but after years of listening to the Shadowloid voice his thoughts, the older Shion had learned there were smaller meanings and messages to everything that came from the boy's mouth. Despite the way the younger Shion communicated and how difficult it was for others to understand him, there was sense to what he said. It was obvious he was feeling hurt right now, unbearable hurt. Tilting his head to get a better view of his younger brother, Zeito soundlessly placed his hand on top of the Shadowloid's head, ruffling his wind-tussled hair. At the moment, it was the only action he could take; despite being concerned for his brother, Zeito knew that pressing Kageito for the truth about how he was feeling was not the best option. In time the answers would be given, and in time the wounds the boy may have would heal with some care given from the few close to him.

The Shadowloid made a low, pleased humming sound in the back of his throat that almost sounded like a growl. A ghost of a smile played at the corners of Zeito's lips as his brother pressed his head up closer to the warmth of his hand much like an affectionate dog would do. Communicating through silent actions was much easier for the older male to do; if the movements were read into right, communicating in that manner was multiple times more efficient than using verbal language.

"Hey...Zeito...is there something wrong with the way I sound?" Kageito asked abruptly. The question startled the older male a bit; out of all his other brothers, Zeito knew Kageito had been one of the first ones to realize that their voices were made to sound like they did for a specific reason. Usually, Zeito was the one to have a problem with his own voice; he absolutely despised how it sounded, and the less friendly Vocaloids would always tease him about it. Having Kageito ask him if there was something wrong with the way he was...unsettled Zeito.

"...No..." the older male answered, placing his yo-yo down in the grass beside him. He moved the hand resting on top of the Shadowloid's head to cup his cheek instead, tipping the boy's face so their eyes met. Such an action was uncharacteristic was unusual for him, especially one so familiar, even with his younger brother. It was even more uncharacteristic for him to respond with words, even such a simple one. The older Shion wanted the younger to know he was sincere in what he said though.

Even in the dark, Zeito could still clearly see his brother's glowing eyes widen, followed by a sudden blush spreading across his usually pale face. Kageito's lips parted as if he were about to say something in response, but instead his blush only darkened. Expecting his brother to turn away and sit in silence like he usually did after Zeito did something unexpected like that, he was surprised when instead Kageito did something much different.

Zeito froze in confusion when Kageito nuzzled his cheek in closer to the older male's hand, closing his red eyes for a few brief moments. In those few seconds without any sort of barrier up to guard the Shadowloid's facial expression, he saw many emotions flash across the younger Shion's face: need, loneliness, confusion, sorrow...desperation. A few glistening tears gathered at the corners of Kageito's normally curious and cheerful, though now closed, eyes. The reaction shocked Zeito so much that he yanked his hand back, staring at the smaller boy with slightly widened eyes.

Kageito's eyes flew open at the instant loss of the comforting touch, and Zeito immediately regretted acting in such a hasty way. He could clearly see the alarm and embarrassment sketched into Kageito's face, followed by his barriers crashing back up within the time span of a few seconds. The Shadowloid smiled apologetically, murmuring a barely audible apology and sitting back up, causing his black scarf to fall down and reveal a little of his pale, nearly unmarked neck.

Before the older male had the chance to say anything back, he noticed yet another thing off about Kageito. Right beneath his Adam's apple, wrapped halfway around his throat where air circulation could easily be cut off if there was enough pressure applied, were bruises. Bruises that were faded but could still easily be made out if looked at directly...bruises that weren't meant to be there...bruises that were about the same size and shape of four fingers and a thumb, pressed tightly enough to cut off air supply...

"...Kageito... what... is on your neck...?" the older male asked in a soft, concerned voice, eyes narrowing a little.

A blank, practiced expression washed over the Shadowloid's face, leaving it vacant of any emotion or hints as to what he was thinking of. The smile he always gave everybody else that had no real meaning to it followed the vacant expression.

"It's nothing; my scarf must've been wrapped around my neck too tightly," Kageito responded, his voice coming out in a robotic manner that had the same cheerful ring to it that it usually did. The same way it sounded when he was talking to anyone else but him. Like he was reciting practiced lines. Like it wasn't really him talking.

"Kageito..." Zeito started, reaching his hand out again. Kageito's hand met his halfway, brushing it aside. Zeito's eyebrows furrowed, and his frown deepened, but he said nothing. The silence that followed wasn't like the silence before. This silence left questions hanging heavily in the air, it wasn't right, to the point of being somewhat uncomfortable. Soon, the sky began to lighten up, and the Shadowloid suggested they head back before the sun peeked over the clouds. Although the pale boy chattered like he usually did on the way back, Zeito still sensed the unnatural aura surrounding the younger Shion. He could see past the act as easily as though he were reading a book.

Sometimes, he really worried about his younger brother. He just wished he knew exactly what was going on that was worrying him.

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**A/N: **...so this took a _LOT _ longer than I anticipated it would. Gomen. I know it's not the best, and that it's OOC. But please remember this is only the second chapter and it's my first time writing a fanfiction in general. Reviews are appreciated! I'll take any help I can get.


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